Programme
HIGHLIGHTS
| Specific Site Visits |
- Get to know the research and innovation focus at mental health neuroscience and psychedelic therapy conducted by the NIMH.
- Observing best and promising community mental health services in action at Czechia.
- Specialised sessions on key themes, including local and regional stakeholder workshops by different service providers.
- Multidisciplinary learning from colleagues during observational activities and site visits.
| Hybrid Conclusive Workshop |
- Hybrid conclusive workshop to report findings and insights gathered from learning, observations and workshops and specialised sessions by experts.
| Roundtable Discussions |
- Collaborative problem-solving sessions integrated within roundtable discussions across various sessions and dialogues facilitated by NIMH and other key presenters.
LEARNING FOCUS
Prevention:
- Learn about proactive measures and early intervention strategies on youth and families at risk.
- Get to know the Center for Sexual Health working on prevention of sexual offense and the trans e-health program.
- Engage in the nationwide anti-stigma campaign Na Rovinu interacting with experts and national media providers.
- Explore public health initiatives presented by NIMH to prevent mental health issues.
Crisis Resolution:
- Understand crisis intervention techniques and best practices when shadowing in community mental health-based services.
Treatment:
- Gain insights into effective treatment methodologies during specialised workshops and presentations, such as those provided by the NIMH.
- Observe the practical application of treatment in various settings.
Recovery-Oriented Practices:
- Study comprehensive recovery-oriented approaches through workshops and dialogues with experts.
- Learn about holistic recovery services and support systems from initiatives.
- Review supportive environments for recovery discussed in sessions by NIMH and others.
Important Note on Interaction with Service Users:
The Exchange Programme may offer opportunities for small group observations and engagement with peer counsellors or experts with lived experience. It is important to note that, due to privacy concerns and the need to protect the well-being of service users, direct interactions with them may be limited and are not guaranteed. When interactions do occur, they will be carefully structured to ensure service users' comfort, privacy, and dignity are respected. The goal is to provide meaningful learning experiences while prioritizing the well-being of service users.
! The programme below will be updated to a 8-days programme shortly !
- Research and innovation focus on mental health neuroscience and psychedelic research conducted by the NIMH and psychedelic education and advocacy (visit to the research area of the NIMH and interaction with advocacy and education NGOs working on psychedelics).
- Learning about the Center for Sexual Health and the crisis hotline for sexology and trans e-health programme.
- Observing best and promising community mental health services for youth at risk and their families and on perinatal MH (interaction with schools, teachers, families and relevant community stakeholders for youth at risk).
- Gain knowledge on the nationwide Anti stigma campaign Na Rovinu (understand the inside of a nation-wide campaign and interaction with media providers).
- Specific visits to people with lived experience organisations (organisations will host participants explaining their work on advocacy for human rights fulfilment).
- Opportunity to assist selected programs through shadowing during week 2.
Expected impact: As general impact of the exchange visit, it is expected that participants set a foundation to create a European mental health network, including multidisciplinary professions. The network is planned to be continued in the form of a community of practice and create a long-term peer support model in the targeted countries.
Participants are also expected to learn about proactive measures in prevention and early intervention strategies on youth and families at risk and how working in the MH field requires the active involvement of all community stakeholders from schools to families. Opportunity will be given to get to know the Center for Sexual Health working on prevention of sexual offense and the trans e-health program. Stressing the importance of a human rights approach, participants will engage in the nationwide anti-stigma campaign Na Rovinu interacting with experts and national media providers to better understand how a combined and nationwide effort can produce more effective results. Further, participants will explore public health initiatives presented by NIMH to prevent mental health issues.
Innovative component/evidence-based practices: The first week looks at effective models of community-based programmes for youth at risk, ensuring the prevention and promotion by addressing their basic and psychosocial needs through the intersection of different services and the involvement of community relevant stakeholders like the school and their families. Another innovative aspect is the existence of a nationwide Anti stigma campaign Na Rovinu that show Czechia’s efforts to promote knowledge about mental health for the general population. The week also looks at providing access to people with lived experience organisations which have a central role on assuring a human rights approach to MH. The week will allow the participants to deepen their practical knowledge of multidisciplinary approach to community mental health service provision.
Arrival in Prague: pickup at the airport and accomodation at Hotel Duo
Free dinner
AM: Welcome and presentation of EU-PROMENS, the host organisation and the programme of the following weeks
Participants learn about EU-PROMENS objectives, programme goals and start getting to know each other and share expectations.
PM: Workshop on the process of deinstitutionalization in Czechia – from technical and theoretical framework to practice. Meetings/workshops with local and regional stakeholders.
Participants become familiar with the network of mental health in Czechia (MH expert - representative of the host organisation, stakeholders’ representative or external expert).
Full day: National Anti-Stigma campaign: Na Rovinu
Learning about the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) initiative and implementation of the anti-stigma campaign Na Rovinu and meeting with media providers and stakeholders who play a major role in implementation.
Full day: Interaction with people with lived experience Organizations
Getting to know the activities of people with lived experience organizations and how they advocate for the rights of users and the psychosocial model and their interaction with the governmental structures.
Full day: Prevention and Promotion in Youth Mental Health (NIMH): programmes at school/parents for youth at risk.
Day 4 and Day 5 will be focused on field trips to the organizations working in the network on Youth at Risk.
Closure of the day | Group discussion and critical reflection on learnings.
The participants will learn about prevention interventions in schools and will look at activities of Parents for Youth at Risk organizations and look at the role of NIMH within these programmes as well as school, parents, families and other nuclear stakeholders to prevent mental health issues in youth-at-risk.
Full day: Prevention and Promotion in Youth Mental Health (NIMH): programmes at school/parents for youth at risk.
Day 4 and Day 5 will be focused on field trips to the organizations working in the network on Youth at Risk.
Closure of the day | Group discussion and critical reflection on learnings.
The participants will learn about prevention interventions in schools and will look at activities of Parents for Youth at Risk organizations and look at the role of NIMH within these programmes as well as school, parents, families and other nuclear stakeholders to prevent mental health issues in youth-at-risk.
Free time during the weeked
Expected impact: The second week will allow the participants to strengthen their knowledge on programmes that aim at improving the quality of life of people affected by mental health issues with particular emphasis on psychedelic research and the advocacy on this topic, as well as actively engage with experts intervening in community-based MH services during the activities on the days of observant and participatory practice. The participants will also get to know new interventions on sexual offense and transsexual e-health programmes and perinatal mental care and acquire practical knowledge on interventions that go from prevention to re-integration within the scope of a multidisciplinary and psychosocial approach. It is expected that at the end of the second week participants will have increased their level of knowledge and confidence to replicate and scale up community-based MH service models in their countries.
Innovative component/evidence-based practices: As in the first week, the participants will look at a range of services interlinked between each other but will also effectively engage in multidisciplinary practices and service activities. The focus will be on the innovative trans sexual e-health programme and the evidence-based practices of the Center for Sexual Health. The advances in psychedelic research and psychedelic education and advocacy and will also be targeted by the NIMH and the NGO’s working in the area providing participants with more accurate knowledge.
AM: Centre for Sexual Health
Contextualisation of the work and intervention of the Centre for Sexual Health. Gain insight on research and evidence-based practices and social interventions in sexual health and sexual offense prevention. Learn about the crisis hotline for sexology and trans e-health programme.
PM: Field trips to the organizations targeting prevention on perinatal mental health
Learn about Czechia’s programme on perinatal mental health and its benefits for public health.
AM: Psychedelic Research
Gain insight into the work related to psychedelic research and therapy in Czechia, including knowledge about the psychedelic research and therapy conducted at the NIMH.
PM: Psychedelic Advocacy and Education
Field trip to NGOs targeting psychedelic advocacy and education that give support to those with difficult psychedelic experiences.
Full day: Shadowing programmes: Observant and participatory practice in Community-based MH centres
Engaging with different services and working with internal professionals in MH interventions.
Full day: Shadowing programmes: Observant and participatory practice in community-based MH centres.
Engaging with different services and working with internal professionals in MH interventions.
- Post self-assessment
- Explanation on dissemination activities and follow-up questionnaire
- Evaluation survey
- Collection of reports and evaluation surveys
Conclusive hybrid workshop, full day event including stakeholders from visited sites, patient organizations and national stakeholders
Certification ceremony, Ambassadors brand and return home